Our long-term Tiger 800XC has been the mainstay of my winter transport, at one point during the coldest spell being the default choice for the simple reason of having heated grips and hand protectors… never mind the torque, feel the warmth.

Performance in the winter months takes on another dimension: how the bike’s components withstand a salt assault. One morning the bike was covered in white crystals after a heavy council anti-icing session. I know you should wash a bike down after every journey in these conditions, but when it’s bitterly cold and late at night this isn’t realistic.

Hence there are now signs on the bike that it has a winter behind it – but very few: it’s stood up to the elements better than any of my previous winter steeds. Maybe it helps that Triumph is a British company and knows what bikes here have to go through (Ducati says the UK is the toughest test of its machines). Whatever the reason, the Tiger’s resistance to corrosion has been exceptional.

The Triumph’s panniers have also been impressive. Their loose fit is an oddity at first but this is deliberate to prevent turbulence around them interfering with stability. Just as important, they’re capacious, waterproof and tough enough to withstand me squeezing far too much in. Unlike many panniers, you can leave them unlocked and don’t need the ignition key every time you want to open them. With a width of 40 inches (1.01m) with them fitted, it’s just about manageable in traffic. Which brings us to a similar offering from Suzuki of Japan.

The V-Strom has covered only 3,000 miles to date and it’s now been equipped with options such as a Bike Trac tracking system, heated grips, hand protectors and, to help with its duties as a working bike, panniers and a top box. These are generic Hepco and Becker items and the mounting frame sets them far out from the bike: total width is an obstructive 46 inches (1.16m).

This is just too much for filtering through traffic, so I’m expecting to be using the topbox alone when I don’t need the full capacity.

The Honda Crosstourer’s luggage, which is fiddly to use but otherwise tough and good looking, measures just 37 inches across (0.94m), making it a much better bet in traffic than either the Triumph or Suzuki.

A much more promising option is the pair of Michelin Pilot Road 3 tyres just fitted. I don’t have any wear information yet but the effect on handling is fantastic and the wet weather grip is astonishing. Straight line stability is improved but the major gain comes when leaning into a turn, where the bike tips over in a much more progressive manner, with lots more feedback. I’ll report on them more fully soon.